THE BEST HOME REMEDIES FOR EVERYDAY HEALTH ISSUES!

TENSION HEADACHES At least 45 million Americans are regularly hit with headaches, say researchers at the National Headache Foundation. Blame cortisol, the stress hormone than hamp ers your body s production of painkilling hormones called endorphins. On top of th at, cortisol makes scalp muscles more likely to become inflamed and tight. Rx: Chamomile essential oil. Massaging this aromatic oil into your temples and n eck can shut down a tension headache in as little as 10 minutes, says James F. B alch, M.D., co-author of Prescription for Natural Cures. Chamomile is rich in sal icylic acid, azulene and chlorogenic acid -- plant compounds that soothe overact ive nerves, dampen pain and relax tight muscles. DIY: Mix 12 drops of chamomile essential oil into one ounce of olive oil and mas sage gently but firmly into your temples and neck until the pain eases. Or make a soothing hair rinse by mixing 10 drops of this essential oil into 16 ounces of water and massaging it into your temples, scalp and neck during your shower. BACK PAIN According to researchers at Ohio s Cleveland Clinic, as many as 36 million women are struggling with an achy back right now -- and 90 percent of Americans will b e slammed with bad back pain at some point in their life. Rx: Devil s claw. At least 12 studies have shown that this herb -- which got its o dd name from the hook-like points on its fruit -- relieves back pain as effectiv ely as prescription pain relievers, but without the tummy upset or other side ef fects. In fact, just 2 to 4 grams daily soothes even severe back pain for 75 per cent of people within one month -- and it makes chronic pain disappear for at le ast one in three sufferers. Credit goes to devil s claw s active ingredient -- harpag oside -- a proven pain reliever and muscle relaxant, plus a surprisingly powerfu l anti-inflammatory, explains Luke Mortensen, Ph.D., herbal researcher and profes sor of pharmacology at Des Moines University in Iowa. DIGESTIVE UPSETS Nearly 66 percent of women regularly struggle with digestive upsets, with heart burn, bloating and indigestion topping the list, according to the Cleveland Clin ic. Rx: Apple cider vinegar. If your tummy s often in an uproar, small daily doses of cider vinegar can improve your digestion in as little as two days, says gastroen terologist Joseph Brasco, M.D., author of Restoring Your Digestive Health. It s pac ked with malic and tartaric acids -- powerful digestive aids that speed fat and protein breakdown, so your stomach can empty quickly and effectively. DIY: Sip one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar mixed with eight ounces of water a few minutes before each meal. FOOD CRAVINGS Cravings sabotage up to 95 percent of dieters. Even people at their ideal weigh t find it hard to fend off cravings, say researchers at Yale University. Food cra vings are frustrating, because they can drive you to eat even when your tummy is comfortably full -- or when you re already feeling stuffed and bloated! says Alan Hirsch, M.D., neurological director of Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foun dation in Chicago. Rx: Vanilla essential oil. Research from The Smell & Taste Treatment and Researc h Foundation show that smelling vanilla targets the brain s satiety center, shutti ng down hunger pangs and cravings within two minutes, helping women effortlessly shed up to five pounds monthly. Vanilla works equally well whether it s sniffed f

rom the bottle or massaged into skin and inhaled slowly from there, says Dr. Hir sch. DIY: Mix 25 drops of vanilla oil into 8 ounces of unscented lotion; massage into your hands and arms whenever cravings flare. You ll craving will be quashed for o ne hour or more. MENSTRUAL CRAMPS As many as eight in 10 women experience period cramps, according to Yale Univer sity. And for some they are so severe that painkillers don t relieve the misery. Rx: Acupressure. Whether you do it yourself -- or visit a trained massage therap ist or chiropractor -- acupressure can cut out 50 percent or more of your cramps within five minutes, according to researchers at the University of Alabama Hosp itals in Birmingham. DIY: Sit on the floor with the soles of your feet together and your legs relaxed so your knees droop to the ground. Place your thumbs on your arches, wrapping y our hands around your feet. Gently press and rub the tender spots on your arches for five minutes. These pressure points stimulate your brain to produce pain-ki lling endorphins while dilating pelvic blood vessels to improve blood flow and f lush out inflammation-triggering hormones, say researchers at University of Miam i. The same pressure on your belly would cause morepain, since those tissues are already tender and inflamed. DRY HAIR AND DANDRUFF Harsh weather, hair colors, perms, relaxers and other chemicals can lead to dry , brittle hair. And yeast overgrowths on the scalp can make itchy, flaky dandruf f flare. Surveys suggest dry hair and dandruff plague up to 50 million women, bu t pricey shampoos rarely make a dent in the problem. Rx: Coconut oil. , a unique group y give hair body f-causing yeast, It s nature s number one source of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) of fats that soak quickly into the scalp and hair follicles. The and shine, dampen itchy scalp inflammation and kill off dandruf says Mary Enig, Ph.D., author of Eat Fat, Lose Fat.

DIY: Massage 2 tablespoons of coconut oil into your hair and scalp, cover with a shower cap for 30 minutes then shampoo well. Repeat once or twice weekly. BRITTLE FINGERNAILS Splitting, chipped nails are the blight of millions of women nationwide. The pr oblem even has a name -- onychoschizia -- and it s one of the most common complain ts women take to their dermatologists. Nail polish can hide the problem, at leas t temporarily, but it won t protect against day-to-day abuses, like exposure to wa ter, detergents and chemicals, say UCLA researchers. Rx: Sulfur supplement. According to research at the Oregon Health Sciences Unive rsity, adding 2,000 milligrams of Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) to their daily die t helped 70 percent of women grow stronger, healthier, more break-resistant nail s in as little as two months. This odorless, tasteless form of sulfur is found n aturally in many fruits, vegetables and meats, and it s an essential building bloc k of keratin, the protein that makes your nails strong. But here s the snag: MSM i s destroyed when food is processed by manufacturers. Adding more whole foods to your diet will help, but the quickest way to see results is by taking an MSM sup plement, otherwise it could take months to see results (if not longer). CHRONIC STRESS Repeated surges of stress -- the sort of thing you feel when your best-laid pla ns go awry or your to-do list becomes way too long -- can quickly escalate into chronic tension and troubling bouts of anxiety. That s because nonstop stress depl

etes your brain of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter that helps you stay calm in the midst of chaos, say Stanford University researchers. Rx: Marjoram essential oil. Inhaling the rich, herbal aroma of marjoram essentia l oil reduces chronic stress and anxiety within 20 minutes. The reason: Marjoram s aroma soothes the amygdala -- the brain region that triggers fearful thoughts a nd anxieties -- plus it allows the brain to rebuild its stockpile of GABA by kee ping anxiety-triggering stress hormone levels low, say Stanford researchers. DIY: Keep a vial of essential oil of marjoram handy (it s sometimes called sweet m arjoram), and whenever you feel yourself getting anxious, irritable or edgy, tak e five slow, deep sniffs. INSOMNIA As many as 60 million Americans toss and turn night after night. Regular bouts of sleeplessness can cut your focus, concentration and creativity by 32 percent; weaken your immunity and double your risk of depression, according to a Harvard study. Often the area of the brain that produces melatonin (the sleep hormone) becomes sluggish, making restless nights more likely. Rx: Natural Sleep Supplements. Take a one-milligram melatonin supplement 30 minu tes before lights-out to women drift off more easily. If that doesn t work, try 5hydroxytryptophan, a.k.a 5-HTP. Many people don t absorb melatonin very well -- but they can absorb 5-HTP, the basic building block your brain needs to produce its own melatonin, says nutrition researcher Ray Sahelian, M.D., author of Mind Boos ters. According to researchers at the University of Bridgeport, taking 100 to 30 0 milligrams of 5-HTP at bedtime cuts insomnia flare-ups 62 percent or more with in six weeks. And doctors at the National Institutes of Health say 5-HTP doesn t j ust help you drift off the way melatonin does -- it also increases the time you spend in dreaming sleep and deep sleep, the two most crucial and refreshing stag es of sleep. Onnit Labs is one of the world s leading manufacturers in 5-HTP suppl ements. Specifically, their supplement, New MOOD which has 5-HTP and L-tryptopha n which metabolizes into 5-HTP, is one of their top supplements. Check out Onnit Labs here - https://www.onnit.com/?a_aid=HigherPerspective QUITTING SMOKING At least 45 million Americans smoke, according to the Centers for Disease Contr ol and Prevention (CDC). And despite an arsenal of products available to help, l ike nicotine patches and even antidepressants, quitting is still really hard. Rx: Hand massages. According to researchers at Florida s University of Miami, regu lar two-minute hand massages help women cut down from 16 cigarettes daily to jus t one a day within four weeks. Those regular mini-massages also improve moods, r educe anxiety and help squash the nicotine cravings that sabotage the effort to quit. Your hands are covered with pressure receptors that send calming messages t o your brain through your central nervous system. Stimulating those nerves can c ut cravings by 32 percent, plus increase your production of calming, mood-steady ing hormones such as serotonin and dopamine, explains Tiffany Field, Ph.D., direc tor of the University of Miami s Touch Research Institute (TRI). DIY: Start with an all-over hand massage using a firm, kneading motion -- and re member to massage the sides, pads and nail beds of each finger and thumb. Finish by massaging your palms, which are uniquely rich in pressure receptors. Share with friends and family. with Leanne Elliott.